Child In Africa 50 Times More Likely To Die Before Age Five, Says Bill Gates

Monday June 2, 2025|

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has warned that global health inequalities remains stark, with children born in parts of Africa still 50 times more likely to die before age five than those in wealthier countries, according to PremiumTimes reports.

Mr Gates, chair Gates Foundation, made the remarks on Monday, June 2, during a speech at the African Union, AU, headquarters in Addis Ababa, where he reflected on 25 years of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s work on the continent.

He said despite decades of progress, most child deaths under five still occur in low-income countries.

Mr Gates described this as “profoundly unjust”, noting that the fight to save young lives remains far from over.

While he highlighted the challenges, he also acknowledged the progress Africa has made in reducing child deaths, “thanks to decades of partnership, innovation, and investment in primary health care.”

“Looking back on these last 25 years, we have seen incredible progress. The reduction in under-five deaths from just under 10 million to now well under five million is really mind-blowing,” Mr Gates said.

He said this is more than twice as fast a reduction than in any period in history.

Mr Gates attributed this improvement to increased vaccine access, strengthened health systems, and political will across many African countries.